Unintentional
by im2old4this
Summary: The classic scenario of how Bulma and Vegeta end up together prior to the events of Cell Saga.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: This is my attempt at the infamous "how Bulma and Vegeta first hook up" sort of story. Bulma, Vegeta, Yamcha and the rest of the cast of Dragonball/Dragonball Z belong to their respective owners. Please enjoy and review.

Vegeta tilted his head first to the right, then to the left, listening to the satisfying crack of vertebrae popping. He shifted some more, slouching farther down on the cushion, drumming out a beat with his left hand on the arm of the couch. He willed himself to keep his eyes on the television, though he hadn't really been watching the program for the past fifteen minutes.

Everything had been fine. A good day's training. Clean clothes. His favorite TV program. He hadn't even minded when the woman had come in and curled up on the opposite end of the couch and began polishing her nails a sickening shade of pink.

Then he had shown up.

Yamcha sat in a chair across from the couch, angled so that he was facing them. His arms were crossed, his eyes narrowed. He had been clearing his throat pointedly for a few minutes now.

"Are you sure you don't want to go out, Bulma?" he asked, though he kept his eyes on Vegeta and not Bulma herself.

"Yup," she replied perkily. She capped the polish and picked up a magazine. "I already have on my pajamas."

Vegeta was reluctantly adjusting to the perpetual waxing and waning developments in Yamcha and Bulma's relationship. How many times had they called it quits since he had returned to earth? Not that he was counting. Or caring for that matter. But when he could practically chart the progression of a week based on the frequency of screaming fits from his hostess, it had became hard not to at least be aware of their relationship.

However, things seemed to be different this time around. The last break-up had occurred shortly after (and most likely due to) the demise of the gravity machine. Bulma had been insistent on nursing Vegeta back to health, and Yamcha hadn't taken taken it very well. The Saiyan prince had expected a reconciliation once his well-being wasn't Bulma's first priority, but it hadn't seem to come.

Instead, she was sitting here on the couch, content to be at home on a Saturday night.

Vegeta wasn't sure which scenario he liked better.

His thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ring of Yamcha's cellphone. The ex-bandit flipped open the small device without taking his eyes off the other two.

"Huh?" he grunted into the receiver.

Vegeta's super sensitive hearing easily picked up the voice on the other line. It was Pu'ar, Yamcha's feline companion. There was flicker of a calculating look on the man's face, and then he interrupted Pu'ar as she was trying to explain to him that she was headed over to Kame house for poker night with Oolong and Roshi.

"Oh, hey Candy!"

"Candy?!?" Vegeta could hear Pu'ar's squeaky voice on the other line. Bulma, limited to only her human senses and oblivious to who the true caller was, only raised an eyebrow and continued to read.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I'd love to come over. See you in a few..." replied Yamcha, cutting Pu'ar protests off and snapping the phone shut. "I better run. A...uh...friend wants me to come over and hang out."

"Okay," said Bulma, wiggling her fingers at him but not looking up from her magazine.

Yamcha frowned at her apparent disinterest. He shot one last look at Vegeta and then sulked out of the room. A few moments later, they could hear the sound of the heavy front door closing.

"That PIG!" shrieked Bulma suddenly, throwing her magazine with enough force that it managed to make the massive television it struck wobble precariously for a moment. "Can you believe him!"

She stood up and began pacing, letting out a long-winded tirade about fidelity and common courtesy. Every few seconds she would cross back in front of Vegeta, eclipsing his view of his program. He was starting to audibly growl. He patience had been tested, and this was too much. Screw the gravity machine. He would ascend without it. First, he would destroy the entire Capsule Corp complex. Then the woman. Then that stupid ex-boyfriend of hers. Then the city. Then the whole world.

Well, maybe he wouldn't destroy the woman right off. He could always.....

His train of thought was wrecked as Bulma flopped down next to him, practically landing on his lap she was so close. She turned and looked up at him, her cheeks flushed pink from her ranting. Her lips were slightly parted. Vegeta swallowed hard, suddenly unusually uncomfortable.

Then the tears began.

"Why doesn't anyone love me!" Bulma began to wail, the soft flush turning to red splotches almost instantaneously. She fell over on her side and curled up,sticking the cuff of her flannel pajamas in her mouth.

"Who would want to love you!" Vegeta bellowed back at her.

She hiccoughed and looked at him with large blue eyes. "Am I really that bad?"

"Yes."

A small smile tugged at her lips, bewildering Vegeta. She sat up again, scrubbing her face with the sleeve of her pajamas. "Well, that's too bad, 'cuz your stuck with me."

Vegeta blinked at her. "What foolish nonsense are you going on about now, woman..."

Bulma grinned and stuck her finger in his face. He was tempted to bite her.

"I saved your life." She explained. "You would never have made it after the gravity machine exploded if I hadn't been there to take care of you." She leaned back with a look of superiority on her face.

Vegeta sneered and leaned back as well. He had no honor code that told him he was beholden to anyone, much less someone who may have, yes, saved his life. "I could kill you and not even blink."

"I know," she responded, her reaction taking him by surprise. "I never said I had no reason to be scared of you. But even if you killed me, Vegeta, like you killed all those others before, don't try to tell yourself you wouldn't remember me, that you wouldn't think about me from time to time...."

"I killed Nappa...you don't see me overwhelmed with remorse over his sorry life..."

"Nappa was your killing buddy, Vegeta. If he had found you half-dead in a pile of rubble, he would have walked off. I didn't. I'm different." Bulma shrugged in a self-assured manner.

He blinked a few times, trying to figure how to explain how they weren't the same, that no one would ever matter to him. The look on Bulma's face made him wonder if any argument minus murder would convince her otherwise. Vegeta scowled, turning away in an attempt to end the conversation. Regardless that he had just been thinking moments before about getting rid of her, the thought wasn't quite so appealing when he rationally thought out how much he needed her mechanical expertise. Bulma let out a little "hmph" of triumph and picked up her magazine to continue reading. Vegeta, likewise, turned back to his television program.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them.

TBC

Worth continuing? Please let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

The gravity machine whined was it powered down. Vegeta felt a dizzying sensation as the intense simulated gravitated faded, replaced by the world's natural gravity, so weak by comparison. He grabbed a towel as he exited the machine, dabbing at the sweat pouring down his aching limbs. Training had been intense today. Thoughts had tried to crowd in on his mind, but Vegeta had beat them back by pushing his body, and the gravity machine, to its limits.

He entered the Brief's private living quarters, intending to head straight for the shower in his own room. As he walked through the hallway, the melancholy music that drifted out of the door of Bulma's apartment caught his attention. He peered around the corner, spotting Bulma swaying slowly to the languid pulse of the music. She was wearing a bright yellow tank top and tight jeans that showed off her long legs rather nicely. Her eyes were closed and she bobbed her head as she mouthed the lyrics to the song.

Vegeta smirked, leaning against the door frame. The woman could be rather attractive when her mouth was shut. As soon as the thought flitted through his mind, he grimaced. It was exactly such ideas that the had been trying to tame all day.

"Vegeta?"

The Saiyan jolted out of his reverie. Bulma had ceased dancing. She now stood staring at him with her large, baby-blue eyes, her head tilted slightly to the right. Vegeta pushed away from the door and began to make his way the hall.

"Hey! Vegeta!"

He turned back to see Bulma leaning out of her room, her eyebrows furrowed in a frown. Her hair, recently straightened, hung down across her bare shoulders in an alluring manner.

"Did you need something?" she persisted, giving him a curious look.

"No, I was just watching you make a fool of yourself," replied Vegeta snidely.

She scrunched up her face and stuck out her tongue in reply. "Whatever, your Highness," she answered, ducking back into her quarters and shutting the door firmly.

Inside, Bulma cranked the music up a little louder. Break up music. Love sucks music. That's the kind of music she needed right now. Stupid Yamcha. All those years of off again, on again, and where had it gotten her? Sitting on the couch on a Saturday with the high and mighty monkey prince. Okay, so maybe that was her own pride that had her home alone rather than out. Not that she was really alone. Vegeta's company had to count for something, she supposed.

And Vegeta really wasn't all that bad.

But she wasn't going there....

No, what she needed was to move on with her life. Every time Yamcha left, he left to the willing arms of another. Maybe it was time for Bulma to start seeing other people herself? Bulma nodded in determination. She would show Yamcha that if he could have any woman he wanted, she could have any man she wanted. She was desirable. Pretty. What man wouldn't want to date her?

Mostly, a small part of herself admitted, she wanted to prove to herself that she was lovable.

TBC

A/N: Sorry, kind of a short chapter. Reviews please? As always, Vegeta, et al belong to their respective owners.


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